Washington D.C. – Following President Trump’s announcement today aiming to curb Sanctuary Cities, turn away asylum seekers, order the construction of a border wall, and increase harmful enforcement policies mark the start of our resistance. The National Sanctuary movement reaffirms its unwavering support for local jurisdictions with limited detainer policies and continued commitment to protect immigrants and refugees by opening their congregations to those being targeted by Trump’s policies.

Rev. Noel Andersen, CWS National Grassroots Coordinator,

said: “The Sanctuary Movement is growing stronger everyday, with more than 800 congregations strongly committed to protecting our immigrant brothers and sisters and standing with them during these trying times. The Sanctuary Movement has a long tradition of civil initiative, holding the government accountable to their own asylum laws. This is another case wherein numerous federal courts have found ICE practices to be unconstitutional when using detainer holds. We encourage all cities to hold true to the 4th amendment in our Constitution and keep their sanctuary policies intact–so that we can protect all members of our communities.”

Rabbi Jonathan D. Klein, Executive Director, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice: Creating a Just and Sacred Society



(CLUE)


said: “As the “America First President” and his xenophobic attempts to dismantle the spirit of our nation’s welcoming message, emblazoned on the Statue of Liberty, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” people of faith throughout California utterly reject the politics of scapegoating any sub-community. Instead, we pledge

Sacred Resistance

to policies of divisiveness and

solidarity

with our fellow community members living in fear.  Rabbis, ministers, and other religious leaders have pledged to protect all human beings, regardless of immigration status, from the hate-filled Executive Orders that define this President’s first days as one of the least popular in history.”

Rev. Kenneth Heintzelman, Sr. Minister, Shadow Rock UCC

, said: “Shadow Rock UCC welcomes immigrants in need of Sanctuary in the spirit of the values that best represent the United States and our faith tradition. The values of hope, freedom, opportunity and justice support the immigrant story which is ultimately the story of all of us. President Trump’s actions, though draped with a thin cloak of patriotism, actually goes against the narrative of what it means to be a proud citizen that knows our history and what it means to be a person of faith who strives to love God and neighbor.”

Pastor Alli Baker, Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ

a congregation who helped pass the Sanctuary city ordinance in Chicago is also currently assisting two asylum seekers added this comment: “On Martin Luther King Jr. day, we remembered his Vietnam speech, when he said, now is the time to ‘move past indecision to action.’ Today we must ask ourselves, before the requests come – what are we willing to risk to truly be a Sanctuary city/church/space?”

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Learn more about the National Sanctuary movement at



www.sanctuarynotdeportation.org

By: Ivanna Salgado, CRLN Immigration Organizer Intern

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Were the words that were screamed with much enthusiasm by several protesters and organizations on June 15th, 2017 to push the city of Chicago to amend the Welcoming City Ordinance with no carve outs.

In 2012, Chicago passed the Welcoming City Ordinance establishing guidelines on how Chicago police interacts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), meant to limit collaboration between police and ICE, and protect immigrants from deportation.

These words allowed for my tears to silently splatter the concrete floor in the “One Chicago” that was built through the violence against immigrants and enslaved people on these stolen lands. Over the years, we have forgotten this actual reality because it has been covered by narratives of white supremacy that have manipulated us into believing their truth is the only truth that exists.

In fact, the word “immigrant” itself is a construction of white supremacy, a system that has gained power after settlers immigrated to America to separate themselves from those who they would soon treat as inferiors. Then, the word immigrant became racialized and criminalized.

Being an undocumented immigrant is nothing to be ashamed of, but we have been trained to do so by hearing quotes like “In America we only speak English.” The irony out of this quote is that, America includes all of North America and South America. America itself is made out 33 Latin American countries, and English is not even the main language there.

Over the years, for me, being an immigrant has come with so much pride and struggle rather than with shame. Being an immigrant has taught me to explore my own identity and celebrate and understands the politics of the cultures of my immigrant friends.

Yesterday’s rally made me reflect on the families that are currently being impacted by the immigration system or who have been criminalized by police officers or ICE.

It is hard to feel proud when our families are being ripped apart. It is often regret that our families feel for coming to the U.S.

Just like the City Hall building that has been built through the exploitation of immigrants. Just like Alderman Rosa says “Chicago cannot claim it is One Chicago if it is not offering sanctuary for all of its residents and instead it is working with ICE to deport immigrants. The City Hall building belongs to us because we built it so we have a voice.”

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I study in Ohio, and when I heard that Chicago was a sanctuary city my heart was filled with happiness and proudness because I am a Chicagoan. Ohio unfortunately is a swing state. However, I am disheartened to know that the city of Chicago is not the sanctuary city it displays to the public. Many immigrants are being criminalized and dehumanized for wanting to stay with their loved ones.

As I saw signs like “Sanctuary For All. No Exceptions.” or “La Lucha Obrera No Tiene Fronteras” uplifted at the rally, I was happy to know that many communities were on board and continued to fight. Because once we are done turning the city of Chicago into a sanctuary city with no loopholes,

are we really done?

What’s the next move? It is a long battle because in every other city there are undocumented communities fighting for the same cause, for our liberation, and we should be standing next to them fighting and screaming  “No Wall. No Registry. No White Supremacy.”

This ongoing battle that has been supported by a working group: Arab American Action Network, Asian American Advancing Justice- Chicago, Organized Communities Against Deportation, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Right,s the National Immigrant Justice Center, the Southwest Organizing Project, Centro  de Trabajadores Unidos – Immigrant Worker Defense Project, the Latino Policy Forum, Mujeres Latinas en Acción, Enlace, the Hana Center, Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America, Chicago Community and Workers’ Rights, the Latino Union of Chicago, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Communities United, and Black Youth Project 100.

Thank you to these organizations and individuals that been in solidarity with becoming a “Model Sanctuary City.”

By: Ivanna Salgado, CRLN Immigration Organizer Intern

Fueron las palabras que se gritaban con mucho entusiasmo por varios manifestantes y organizaciones en 15 de junio de 2017 para empujar la ciudad de Chicago para enmendar la Ordenanza de la Ciudad Acogedora, sin excepciones.

En el 2012, Chicago aprobó la Ordenanza dela Ciudad Acogedora estableciendo  directrices sobre cómo la policía de Chicago interactúa con inmigración (ICE), destinado a limitar la colaboración entre la policía y ICE para proteger a inmigrantes de deportación.

Estas palabras permitieron mis lágrimas silenciosamente salpicar el piso de concreto en el “Un Chicago” que fue construido a través de la violencia contra los inmigrantes y la gente esclavizada en estas tierras robadas. Con los años, hemos olvidado esta realidad porque ha sido cubierto por narraciones de la supremacía blanca que nos han manipulado a creer que su verdad es la única que existe.

De hecho, la palabra “inmigrante” mismo es una construcción de la supremacía blanca, un sistema que ha ganado poder después que ellos inmigraron a América para separarse de los que pronto se tratan como inferiores. Entonces, la palabra inmigrante se ha racializado y tipificado como delito.

Ser un inmigrante indocumentado es nada para avergonzarse, pero hemos sido entrenados como por ejemplo este dicho es dicho es muy común “En América sólo hablamos inglés.” La ironía de esta frase es que, América incluye todos los de norte y América del sur. América contiene 33 países Latino América, e inglés no es aún el principal idioma allí.

Largo de los años, para mí, ser inmigrante ha llegado con tanto orgullo y lucha en lugar de vergüenza. Ser inmigrante me ha enseñado a explorar mi propia identidad y celebrar y entender la política de las culturas de mis amigos inmigrantes.

La marcha de ayer me hizo reflexionar sobre las familias que actualmente están siendo afectados por el sistema de inmigración o que han sido criminalizados por agentes de policía o Ice

Es duro sentirse orgulloso cuando nuestras familias están destrozadas. A menudo se lamentan haber venido a los EE.UU.

Al igual que el edificio del Ayuntamiento (City Hall,) que ha sido construido a través de la explotación de los inmigrantes. Al igual que el Concejal Rosa dice “Chicago no puede reclamar es uno Chicago, si no está ofreciendo santuario para todos sus residentes y en lugar de ello, está trabajando con ICE para deportar a los inmigrantes. El edificio del Ayuntamiento (ICE) nos pertenece porque vuestra comunidad inmigrante lo ha construido, así que tenemos una voz”.

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Yo estudio en Ohio, y cuando me enteré de que Chicago era un santuario mi corazón se llena de felicidad y orgullo. Ohio, lamentablemente, es un estado oscilante. Sin embargo, me siento decepcionada al saber que la ciudad de Chicago no es un santuario como muestra al público. Muchos inmigrantes son criminalizados y deshumanizados por querer quedarse con sus seres queridos.

Cuando vi posters que decían “Santuario para todos. Sin excepciones.” o “La lucha obrera no tiene fronteras” levantados en la marcha, yo estaba feliz de saber que muchas comunidades estaban a bordo y continuaban luchando. ¿Porque una vez que la ciudad de Chicago en un santuario ciudad sin excepciones, realmente hemos acabado? ¿Cuál es el siguiente paso? Es una larga batalla porque en cualquier otra ciudad hay indocumentados, las comunidades luchan por la misma causa, por nuestra liberación, y debemos estar de pie junto a ellos luchando y gritando “Ningún muro. Ningún registro. No la supremacía blanca”.

Esta batalla que ha sido apoyada por: Arab American Action Network, Asian American Advancing Justice- Chicago, Organized Communities Against Deportation, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Right,s the National Immigrant Justice Center, the Southwest Organizing Project, Centro  de Trabajadores Unidos – Immigrant Worker Defense Project, the Latino Policy Forum, Mujeres Latinas en Acción, Enlace, the Hana Center, Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America, Chicago Community and Workers’ Rights, the Latino Union of Chicago, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Communities United, and Black Youth Project 100.

Gracias a estas organizaciones e individuos que han estado solidaridad para convertirse en una “Ciudad Santuario.”